LIVERMORE FALLS — La Famille LeBlanc will conclude its nearly 25 years of touring with performances on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 19 and 20.
The group will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Livermore Falls gazebo, and from 7 to 10 p.m. Aug. 20 at Le Paresseux Club on Waldo Street in Rumford.
Both shows are free.
La Famille LeBlanc started around the kitchen table in Acworth, New Hampshire, in 1986. Don was playing his guitar and the kids were singing, and he thought this could develop into something more. He began teaching them to play instruments.
When the family moved to Maine in 1989, it began practicing playing and singing. Don joined the Franco American band L’Orchestre C’est Si Bon and played festivals. Linda loved to sing French songs and started to teach their children to sing in French.
In 1992, the Snowshoe Club in Rumford allowed the LeBlanc family to use its stage to practice performing and fine tune the family’s stage presence. It’s been many years since all family members were on stage together. On Aug. 20, the family will end its tour where it all started.
The family has played at Franco American festivals in Augusta, Biddeford, Madawaska, Waterville and many other areas of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Canada for nearly 25 years.
Now the family is grown and life is taking its course. Jackie, tenor vocals and percussion, is now studying to become a nurse and has family obligations; Kevin, vocals and harmonica, and Jim, vocals and guitar, have military family obligations; and grandson Chris, bass and guitar, will soon be off to college.
Two years ago Gerry Meservier, the drummer of 22 years, had to move on. Jim had too many obligations to continue and Kevin was sent to Korea. The family thought that was the end. Fortunately Jeremy, whose two sons had been busy with sports for the past 10 years, was finally able to join the family on guitar.
Chris’ friend, 17-year-old Kyle Melcher, also joined to play drums, giving La Famille LeBlanc two more years of performances.
“We will never stop playing and singing. It will be harder to get everyone together, but, we will always have music in our home,” said Don and Linda.
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